The Choices We Make
by Andrei Falls
Summary: What happens when Harry Potter goes through a different experience in the wizarding world than he did in canon? You get a smarter, more powerful and more independent Harry! With a scheming headmaster and a Dark Lord that won't rest until he's dead, Harry will be making smarter choices with the help of a very special person. HP/DG pairing. Discontinued, more info inside
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all, this is my very first fan fiction and I'm very excited to share it with you so here it is. Expect weekly or bi-weekly updates and not very good spelling and pretty bad grammar :)**

Harry Potter was in his cupboard under the stairs dreading the time that his aunt and uncle would return from the hospital. His uncle had thrown him in there yesterday after their trip to the zoo for Dudley's birthday.

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 _oOo-Flashback-oOo_

They were in the reptile section where they had the biggest and most venomous serpents in the world when Harry found an Australian Inland Taipan sleeping. Dudley stood next to him tapping the glass in the most annoying way possible.

"Stop it! Can't you see its trying to sleep?"

"Shut it Potter. I don't need you telling me what to do."

With that, Dudley walked away to go see the more interesting reptiles in the place and left Harry alone with the snake who was stirring awake.

"Sorry about him, he doesn't know what it's like having people's ugly faces gawking at you." Harry sincerely said to the snake.

 _"A Speaker! You are a very unusual human. Not many wizards can speak the noble tongue."_

Harry jumped back in shock, almost falling onto his rear. A snake just talked to him and he can talk to it! He turned around to see if anyone else was listening before he turned back towards the snake again.

"You can understand what I'm saying?"

 _"Yes speaker. Have you never spoken to a serpent before?"_

"No, I can't say I have," Harry replied "and what do you mean wizard?"

 _"You are a wizard. Only they can speak the tongue and they are very few among millions around the world."_

"Hang on, there are such things as wizards and they are all over the world?" Harry said curious.

 _"Yes, and you human are one"_

Suddenly, everything clicked for Harry. The reasons why he was so different and why he always found himself in unusual situations. Like the incident last year in primary school when Dudley's gang was chasing Harry and suddenly he found himself on the roof of one of the classrooms. He had gotten in trouble for being found up there and he had to endure a few days without food or water in his cupboard as his punishment given by his uncle. And the incident where his aunt Petunia tried to make him wear Dudley's old sweater and it just seemed to get smaller the more his aunt tried to force it onto him. Thankfully Harry didn't get punished for the that.

Harry turned back towards the snake at eyed it curiously. It called him a wizard. The one's that can produce magic out of nowhere can literally do anything. But one thing didn't seem to make sense. If he was a wizard, why couldn't he just punish his relatives every time they treated unfairly. He told his concerns to the snake.

 _"Because human, you are still a hatchling and have no control over your magic. Also, you do not have a wand to focus it. But if you can get me out of this prison, I will teach you everything you need to know young one." The snake said._

"But my relatives will see you and kill you without a second thought! You will get hurt if you stay with me."

 _"Do not worry about them. I will take care of them for you but only if you can get me out."_

Harry gave it some serious thought and he was very tempted by the offer. First of he can have his relatives reined in and stop abusing him and he will learn how to use magic! It was clearly a win-win situation for Harry and all he had to do was let him out.

"Alright I'll do it tell me what I have to do."

 _"Excellent! First you have to- "_

"MUM, DAD, GET OVER HERE! YOU CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT THIS SNAKE IS DOING!

Before Harry could respond, something huge knocked him onto his arse and winded him. He looked up and saw Dudley pressing his face against the glass and staring in awe at the snake. He glared at Dudley and directed all his anger to him. How dare he just barge him! Something within Harry stirred and a weird sensation went through his body. But before Harry can get used to the feeling, he could feel it escaped him and shoot straight at Dudley.

Not even a second later Dudley found himself flung towards the glass and smashing it to pieces. Harry tucked his head in his arms to cover his head from the debris. After a while Harry looked towards where the glass used to be and found Dudley's body covered in thousands of cuts and bruises with a 6-foot snake slithering over him…..


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, here is the second chapter of this story and I would like to thank those who have favourite and follow it. Reviews are always welcome but try to make them in a professional manner and not too critical as I'm only fifteen and that this is my first story. I will really appreciate it if you can help me improve by giving me any advice, and I will happily take it to heart. Any way on with the show (or story)! :)**

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The snake slithered over Dudley and made its way towards Harry. He himself was in the middle of an emotional battle inside his head. He was ecstatic that he just done magic but was worried about the consequences of using it on Dudley. His aunt and uncle will be having seizures when they found out that their sweet Diddykins was hurt by none other than him. He would have to run away the first opportunity he had or risk continuing to live with the Dursley's and hope they will go easy on him.

Who was he kidding, this was the Dursleys he was talking about. Of course, they weren't going to go easy on him, they probably were going to beat him to the inch of his life at the worst or starve him at the best.

Aunt Petunia's scream brought Harry back to earth by the pitched of it, he wouldn't be surprised if there were more broken glass that went flying.

"DUDDIKINS!" His aunt yelled running over to check Dudley with his uncle Vernon in tow.

"BOY WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO OUR DUDLEY!?" uncle Vernon boomed whilst spitting on his nephew. His face was the shade of purple and a vein in his head looked like it was about to burst. Harry thanked the whoever was watching that they were in a public area, otherwise he was certainly going to get the beating of his life. "You wait 'til we got home you FREAK, you're going to wish you were never born!

With that, his uncle turned back towards his son to see if he was okay. The reptile keeper looked like he wondering what happened to the glass and the amount of paper work he had to fill.

 _"Thank you"_

Harry turned around to see the snake right close and personal with him. But Harry wasn't frightened in fact, he felt an odd calm around his body. "Don't mention it um..."

 _"You may call me Apophis"_ Apophis said.

"Wait, like the Egyptian god of chaos?"

 _"A sharp mind! Yes, precisely like the Egyptian god you spoke of. Very good, this will make teaching you easier than I thought."_

Harry looked around suddenly remembering that where they were has been gathering a lot of attention due to a fat lump of a kid bleeding to quite severely. Harry wondered how they still haven't spotted the snake next to him.

"You need to hide! They're going to see you and get you back in there as quickly as they can." Harry tried to find a way to hide a six-foot-long snake but found it an almost impossible task as there was nothing to hide it in.

 _"I have a plan, but I need you to accept it as it will affect you for the rest of your life."_ Apophis said.

"I accept, I just want to see you safe." Harry said, forgetting about the fact that Apophis said that it will affect him later on.

"Very well." Almost instantaneously, Harry could feel almost the same odd sensation inside him except this time, it was not wild and raging, no, this time it was calming and instead of shooting out, it was more reaching out. It reached out to Apophis slowly but deliberately. Harry could faintly see a distortion in the air between him and the snake and could just make out a faint tit of green.

Suddenly he could _feel_ Apophis, he can actually sense that he was only two years old and that he was still growing in size and power. He could _feel_ Apophis's emotions, especially his confidence like it was a part of his own.

"What did you do?" Harry asked.

 _"I bonded with you, I became your familiar."_

"My familiar?"

 _"Yes. From now on we will forever be connected by magic and we will be equals. You are now my equal and I am yours. I will now lay down my life for you like I know you will for me. You can sense my emotions and I will be able to sense yours and if ever we are separated, we will be able to find each other."_

"I will be honoured to be bonded with you," Harry said sincerely. "But how will this hide you?" still wondering about his plan.

 _"Like this."_ Smirked Apophis. In a flash, Apophis suddenly disappeared from in front of him and before Harry could comprehend what happened, he felt an intense heat on his left shoulder. It felt like something was burning onto his skin and he immediately pulled his sleeve back to reveal a tattoo of Apophis on his skin.

"Bloody hell, that hurt!"

 _'Oh, get over it.'_ A voice said in his head.

'Apophis?' Harry thought.

 _'The one and only_.'

The paramedics chose that moment to turn up and from then on everything became a blur to Harry for a whole five hours.

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 **A/N: Sorry for another short one but i promise it will get longer. I'm also wondering if you guys want to have Molly, Ronald and Ginny part of Dumbledore's schemes. Anyway tell me your ideas! Until next week then :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Welcome back guys, so there have been some pleas for more updates. I just want to say that here in Australia, the holidays just finished two days ago so school has started again and I'll be quite busy with assignments and such so I won't have enough time to do more than a chapter. Remember guys, I'm only fifteen!**

 **Anyway, there were suggestions for whether Molly, Ginny and Ron should make life hell for Harry and I have considered them quite thoroughly. Thank you for them. If anyone has anymore suggestions, don't be afraid to share them!**

 **Okay, that's enough from me.**

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"You'll be in here until we get back you little shit!" spat uncle Vernon. He slammed the door in Harry's face and locked him in the cupboard under the stairs. Harry heard the front door closing and the distinct sound of a car rolling out of the driveway a few minutes later. Now he was in the dark with nothing but the silence of No. 4 Privet Drive.

"Well shit just hit the roof." Sighed Harry.

 _'You should have let me bite them. Make them die slowly and painfully.'_ Snarled Apophis.

'In front of the medic, are you crazy!' Harry exclaimed in his head. 'They would have killed you then went and take them somewhere to get the anti-venom.'

 _'Since I am your familiar, my venom is magically stronger as well and will negate their stupid muggle antivenom anyway.'_

'Muggle?' Harry asked.

 _'They are the humans who cannot do magic.'_ Apophis answered.

'Oh, okay. Well do you reckon you can help me get out of here? You said you will teach me some magic so I was wondering when we can start.'

 _'Soon, but not now. I have a plan to escape but we have to wait until the that hippo comes back.'_

'What is it?'

 _'Right, when he comes in and opens the door, I will…'_

* * *

Vernon Dursley drove up the driveway of No. 4 Privet Drive and turned the engine off. He left Petunia with Dudley at the hospital because she just couldn't leave him there alone when he was in so much pain. But Vernon came home to finish off some business. He was going to show that little brat that he will not tolerate such violence against his family. He will yet beat the freakishness of the boy out of him.

"I'm back boy!" Vernon said almost giddy, as he took his belt off his pants. "I'll teach you to hurt my family."

Vernon unlocked the door of the cupboard and ripped it open. His face turned into one of fear when he came face to face with a snake leaping towards his head and wrapping itself around it.

He didn't care how the snake got here. He was more worried about getting it off. But every time he felt himself getting loose from the snake's grip, it will just tighten itself again harder than before. Suddenly he felt something puncture two holes in his neck and the most unbearable pain he ever felt. It was like someone poured hot oil into his body and spreading itself out throughout it. He fell to his knees just wishing to just die. Vernon let out one more gasp before he slumped on the floor dead.

* * *

Harry watched as his uncle collapsed on the used-to-be-clean floor. Even though he knew that this will happen, Harry still felt guilty. Not because he saw his uncle getting attacked by his familiar and doing nothing about it. No, he felt guilty because he felt nothing. He didn't feel happy nor did he feel sad about his death. Only nothing.

 _"Your uncle is the most disgusting thing these fangs have ever touched."_ Complained Apophis who looked like he was going to be sick.

"I bet. So, what do we do now?"

 _"I haven't planned this far ahead. But I would suggest taking whatever money he has on him and going to London and look for somewhere to stay. Until you get your letter, there isn't much we can do."_

* * *

Harry took a bus to London with Apophis in his tattoo form. It was better this way than having to explain why a venomous snake was following him. As he sat down he spotted a familiar looking man who was wearing a very weird set of clothes waving at him. Harry shyly waved back and the man stood up from where he sat and to Harry's horror, sat back down next to him.

"Dedalus Diggle Mr. Potter." Dedalus said as he shook Harry's hand." It's great to finally be able to talk to you."

Realisation dawned on Harry as he told Apophis to calm down and to stop him from attacking the man.

"I remember. You bowed to me once while I was out shopping with my aunt."

"Thank Merlin, you remember me! It truly is a great honour to speak to you. After all, the whole wizarding world owes you for you and your parents' sacrifice."

"What do you mean?" asked a confused Harry. "My aunt and uncle told me that they were nothing but useless layabouts who died in a car accident and had me dumped at their doorstep."

Dedalus's face turned from smiling to outrage. The saviour of the wizarding world, didn't know his own story when every other child knew his. It was unacceptable.

"Now listen here," Dedalus said. "whatever your aunt and uncle told you about your parents are not true. They were brave honourable people and I had the greatest privilege of working beside them."

"Wait, you knew my parents?"

"Yes, young Mister Potter, I did. They were the kindest most friendly people anyone could ever meet. They are very respected in our world because they helped out bring down the darkest wizard in centuries.

"The tale of how they died is a very sad one and it involves you." Harry gulped at this. Anticipation filled his stomach up as he was waiting on hearing how his parents really died. "Many years ago, there was a wizard who went as dark as anyone can, his name was Lord Voldemort," at this Dedalus shivered. "But everyone called him you know who because they were all frightened of him. There were some who stood up against him including your parents. But one night, he came out to find and kill your parents. They fought bravely but were no match for him. And then he tried to kill you."

"Voldemort tried t-to kill m-me?" Harry whispered.

"That is right Mister Potter. He tried to kill you," he said sadly. "But that is why you're famous. You know who was able to kill a lot of wizards and witches, even really powerful ones, but he couldn't kill you. And you were only a baby. His spell rebounded off you and back at him. He died that night and it was because a baby was able to stop him. That is why you have that scar." At this, Harry's hand immediately moved towards his scar on his forehead. It was shaped like a lightning bolt and was previously told it was a souvenir from the car accident. "That scar is no normal scar. That is a scar from when a dark curse touches you."

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 **A/N: This is the third chapter of my story done. I would appreciate any reviews and suggestions. Also if you would like to make the cover image for this story, I would be more than happy to let you. You can send it to me through DM on Instagram. My username is andrei_falls03.**

 **I would like to thank those who have supported this story and I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as i enjoy writing it.**

 **Well i'll see you guys next week.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again. I just want to say thanks for all your reviews guys. Keep them coming!**

 **Also, for the support I have been getting.**

Dedalus spent most of the bus trip telling him more about his parents. Harry found out that his father and mother went to a school of magic called Hogwarts. Apparently, his father was a real prankster in his school years along with his best friend Sirius Black.

But when Harry tried to find out more about this Sirius Black, Dedalus would immediately avoid the question and talk about something else. Harry reluctantly left it be and find out more about the man later.

His mother, it turned out, was considered the smartest witch of her age even though she was a muggleborn, which Harry also learned meant anyone who did not have any magical parents. How his mother who was very mature could fall for someone like his father who was very reckless. But it was Harry's grandparents' death that forced his father to be more responsible about his actions.

Dedalus also kept on mentioning how Harry looked so much like his father James. Harry had also inherited the Potter's untameable hair. The only difference was that he had His mother's eyes. His flaming emerald green eyes were the only clue for someone to know that he was also Lily's son.

Harry also learned a little bit about the hierarchy of the wizarding world. All muggleborns were considered to be second class citizens and anyone who had magical parents going back centuries ago were considered to be the first-class citizens. They were called purebloods. The term 'pure-blood' referred to a family or individual without Muggle (non-magic) blood. The concept was generally associated with Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whose aversion to teaching anybody of Muggle parentage eventually led to a breach with his three fellow founders, and his resignation from the school. The most traditionalist purebloods believed that they should be the only one to be able to use magic because it was in their blood and anyone else didn't deserve to even witness it. They also believed that they were the best at magic there was.

So when Harry's father married a muggleborn, it caused an uproar within the pureblood families because his father was a pureblood.

Then there were the in-between class called halfbloods. These were the people who had one parent who was either a muggleborn or a muggle. Most of them didn't have as much power as the purebloods in the wizarding world's equivalent to a parliament: The Wizengamot.

Dedalus couldn't explain how the Wizengamot worked because even though he was a pureblood. When Harry asked why not, he said that his blood doesn't go back far enough to be able to have a seat on the Wizengamot.

The bus slowed down in front of a bus shelter in London and Harry realised that this was his stop.

"It was great talking to you Mister Diggle." Harry said.

"Oh ho Harry, you didn't think you can get rid of me that easily did you?" Dedalus said. "I have to visit Diagon Alley for some shopping. Actually, do you have a place to stay for the evening?"

Harry shook his head.

"Well I know the best place to stay when one is out and about. Follow me"

Harry followed Dedalus through London. Even though it was around ten pm, the shops were still open and busy. Harry, having never been to London, took as much in as possible.

Harry was too busy looking around that he failed to notice that Dedalus stopped walking and bumped into him.

Harry apologised but Dedalus just waved it off. "We are here Mister Potter."

They had stopped in front of a shabby looking pub called The Leaky Cauldron. Harry wondered how such a place could still be in business because if Dedalus had not have stopped, he wouldn't have even noticed it yet.

The couple walked in and was greeted by the bartender.

"Dedalus Diggle, welcome back. Would it be the usual again?"

"Oh no thank you Tom," Dedalus replied. "I was just wondering if you have a room for Mister Potter here."

Suddenly the whole place fell silent and every customer turned to look at Harry.

"Merlin's beard!" Tom exclaimed. "Harry Potter, welcome back young sir welcome back."

Harry spent the next ten minutes shaking everyone's hand. He had never received this much attention before and he immediately hated it. All these people were all thanking him for defeating the dark lord that they forgot about what he had to sacrifice because of it. Apophis could sense Harry's discomfort and was ready to attack at anytime. Dedalus saw Harry's anxiety and decided to put an end to it.

"Alright everyone that's enough. Tom, that room."

"Of course Mister Diggle. Room 21 is free, if you would please follow me."

Dedalus turned to Harry and said his good bye.

"Now Harry, I will be leaving now but Tom can lead you to your room. He will take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow so you can go to Gringotts. But don't worry, you will see me again. Farewell Harry."

With that, he turned and walked away through the crowd.

"If you may follow me Mister Potter I will lead you to your room."

Harry followed Tom down some corridors and stopped at the door with the number 21 on it. Tom opened the door and showed Harry around.

It had its own bathroom with all the necessary accessories as well as a single bed and a desk. the walls were painted a grey kind of colour and the room smelt way better than his previous residence.

Tom gave Harry his key and bid him goodnight.

As soon as he left, Harry got ready to sleep and climbed in bed. The bed was the softest thing he ever layed on and it wasn't long before he succumbed to the days pressure.

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A/N: Alright guys chapter four is done. But I still have more to say.

First up, updating on Wednesdays is really inconvenient for me so from now on it will be on Sundays. That way I can write longer chapters for you guys. YAY!

Second, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave a review.

Cheers


	5. Sorry Guys

I'm really sorry guys but to be honest this story was going no where. But i plan on making a 2 Self insert story where i wake up in the wizarding world and facing the hogwarts express, also where i rise up in the Box of the Maze Runner.

This will start at the beginning of next year so get ready. Again i Apologise.


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